Kartel’s hometown disappointed as court denies release
Published:Friday | May 31, 2024 | 12:07 AMRuddy Mathison/Gleaner Writer
A group of supporters of Adidja Palmer, the famed entertainer known as Vybz Kartel, gathered under a mango tree in Waterford in Portmore, St Catherine, on Thursday to hear the outcome of a habeas corpus petition.
The petition was filed by Kartel’s lawyer, Isat Buchanan, who sought the release of the artiste and two other men with whom he had been convicted. However, their hopes were dashed as the announcement over the radio made it clear that it was not to be.
There was visible disappointment among the supporters, whose faces fell as they quickly dispersed into the cluster of houses in the area known as Gaza City.
They refrained from vocalising their regrets that their hero would remain incarcerated.
Earl Plunket, a resident, however, openly lashed the legal system, suggesting that it has not been fair to the entertainer, whose 2014 murder conviction was quashed in March and the court set to determine whether there will be a retrial.
“Don’t see why they could not grant him bail. He is a sick man, and they should let him out so he can attend to his medical issues until the hearing for the retrial,” Plunket told The Gleaner. “I am very disappointed because I was hoping that I would see the boss.”
Another supporter, who requested anonymity, blamed the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), arguing that Kartel is fighting a system determined to punish him for their mistakes.
“The artiste is being punished by the system. The DPP office is calling the shots, and they don’t want to see him back on the streets. I have no confidence in the system here in Jamaica,” the supporter stated.
Kartel, Shawn Campbell, and Kahira Jones will remain behind bars, pending a five-day hearing – scheduled to begin on June 10 – to determine if there will be a retrial for the 2011 murder of Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams, for which they were initially sentenced to life in prison.